The Health Hazards of Night Shift Work

Nurses in America are facing a shortage due to stress, burnout, and health risks associated with working night shifts, including increased cancer risk, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease, and psychological concerns.

Nurses in America are at their breaking point. Many are leaving the profession due to the stress, burnout, and health risks associated with working night shifts.

Working through the night can take a toll on your body and overall health. More than 9 million adults in the United States work shifts at night, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There are many jobs in a variety of industries that require staff at night, including medical professionals, flight attendants, hotel receptionists, construction workers, truck drivers, firefighters, law enforcement, and others.

The Health Hazards of Night Shift Work

Working the night shift requires adjusted sleep schedules and meal times, which are two contributing factors to the health problems associated with late-night hours. These health problems can include an increased risk of cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, and more.

Studies have shown an increased risk of certain cancers among those who work the night shift. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) drew its own conclusions based on "systematic review methods and established criteria" about a link between working the night shift to certain cancers, according to a 2021 report by the organization.

The Health Hazards of Night Shift Work

The NTP found "high evidence" that frequently working the night shift disrupts circadian rhythms and can cause breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. A circadian rhythm is the body's internal 24-hour clock. One factor that affects a circadian rhythm is light.

Working the night shift disrupts the body's circadian rhythm because a person is working during a time when the body's natural instinct is to sleep. If you are someone who often works the night shift, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends trying to stick to a similar sleep schedule even on the days when you are off from work to help your body get into a better routine.

The Health Hazards of Night Shift Work

When you work the night shift, you may eat at odd hours. Possible gastrointestinal disorders you could face include abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, change in appetite, indigestion, and heartburn, according to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

A disturbed circadian rhythm can again be to blame for these gastrointestinal problems because the body's internal clock may not properly function when food is eaten at abnormal hours during the night.

The Health Hazards of Night Shift Work

It is important to keep yourself fueled with food and hydrated with plenty of water while you're on your feet working long hours at night. What you eat at work, and even where you eat, can help ease these digestive problems, according to NIOSH. Recommended foods for work hours include vegetables, salads, soups, fruits, wholegrain sandwiches, yogurt, cheese, eggs, nuts, and green tea.

Heart health could be a risk from many years of frequent night shifts. Research has made a connection between certain risk factors that could be prevalent in those who work the night shift that are associated with cardiovascular disease, such as smoking and metabolic disturbances, according to NIOSH.

The Health Hazards of Night Shift Work

Those with high blood pressure could be at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes if they work frequent night shifts, according to findings published in August 2022 by the Journal